All Monitoring Controlled by One Box!

Your studio is only as good as your monitoring setup, and a central monitor controller like the JBL MSC1 is a must-have for a professional recording and mixing environment. Adjusting the output level using your interface can be detrimental to your signal's sound quality, as it compromises the gain structure of your monitoring path. After all, you rarely see professional studios plugging monitor speakers directly into the outputs of an audio interface. With two pairs of 1/4" TRS inputs, stereo RCA inputs, two pairs of 1/4" stereo outputs plus a mono 1/4" subwoofer output, the JBL MSC1 is the control center for all your audio routing. Adjust your monitors' volume with the MSC1's large, ergonomic gain knob, and then tweak your system's backend gain, phase, and balance via the MSC1's included control software. More than just a monitor controller, the JBL MSC1 can actually help you deliver better-sounding mixes: the included measurement microphone and easy-to-use room-correction software can detect "problem frequencies" and automatically compensate for less-than-ideal acoustics in your room. Factor in its affordable price, and the MSC1 is a must-have for the home or project studio.

Connect Two Pairs of Monitors Plus a Sub

Featuring three inputs, the JBL MSC1 acts as a central hub for all of your audio components. Plug in an audio interface, mixing console, and MP3 player, and quickly switch input devices with the push of a button. Connect main and auxiliary monitors to the MSC1's two pairs of stereo outputs, then toggle between them just by pressing a button. Switching between A and B sets of speakers can help you get a better perspective on your mix. There is also a separate subwoofer output, allowing you to independently control the level, phase, and crossover frequency of your favorite subwoofer. The JBL MSC1 also has a dedicated headphone output section with independent level control for artists or engineers who need to monitor the mix independent of the main monitor level.

Room Correction with a Real Measurement Microphone

The most impressive feature of the JBL MSC1 is JBL's highly acclaimed RMC room correction. RMC stands for Room Mode Correction and it combats the peaks and nulls in a room's frequency response. When a room is not acoustically treated, the frequency response is skewed, making it hard to actually tell what's happening with your mix. Low-end tends to build up in corners, and parallel walls cause room modes -- areas where there's a severe phase cancellation of a particular frequency. Mixing in a room with problem frequencies makes for mixes that don't translate well outside of your room -- because you are boosting or attenuating frequencies to compensate for your room's problems. The MSC1 can help you take the room out of the mix. Just plug in the included measurement microphone to make an audio blueprint of your room, and JBL's room-correction software will boost or cut frequencies to compensate. For example, if you mix in a square room, excessive bass build-up can make it seem like your mixes contain more low-end than they actually do. The JBL MSC1 can detect this problem and attenuate the lower frequencies, resulting in a more balanced and accurate sound.

Tweak Your System With Powerful Software

The JBL MSC1 features the intuitive and powerful MSC1 Control Center software. This software provides in-depth control of monitor EQ, speaker alignment delay, subwoofer balance, and bass-management crossover settings. Every aspect of the sound output can be calibrated here, making the MSC1 one of the most flexible central monitor controllers on the market. Before analyzing the acoustics in your room, the Control Center software guides you through the steps necessary to correct any problems in your audio path from the DAW to the MSC1. The MSC1 Control Center guides the user through the entire process using detailed, simple language and intuitive visual guides that are helpful to the beginner and expert alike.

With the advancements made in digital recording, it has never been easier to set up a home studio. However, no room is perfect -- especially home studios that weren't built with acoustics in mind. Combining powerful and intuitive central monitor control and room correction to compensate for less-than-desirable acoustics, the JBL MSC1 helps you solve these problems. The JBL MSC1 comes with everything you need right out of the box -- cables, calibration mic, and MSC1 Control Center software are included. After you calibrate your MSC1 and your room, simply disconnect the JBL MSC1 from your computer and all the settings are saved internally. Any measurements taken by the MSC1 during the software correction are saved to the device and function without the JBL MSC1 connected to the computer, making the JBL MSC1 a standalone monitor control unit perfectly calibrated to your room. With the JBL MSC1 you will hear what's really happening in your mixes, and your work will shine like never before.

JBL MSC1 Monitor System Controller

The MSC1 Monitor System Controller includes essential "Monitor Strip" features found in large mixing consoles so you can take control of all monitoring functions from your place at the mix position. Since the acoustics of the room can play a big part in what you hear, the MSC1 includes JBL's highly acclaimed RMC Room Mode Correction Technology to tune your monitor system to the room. The end-result is a calibrated reference environment in which your speakers work in harmony with your room to take the guesswork out of mixing.

Features

- Master volume control

- A/B speaker select

- A/B/C input source select

- Subwoofer output with level control and selectable cross over frequencies

- Adjustable low frequency and high frequency speaker EQ

- Headphone output with volume control

- Monitor mute control

- RMC on/bypass control

- Adjustable input gain with Signal Present and Clip indicator

- Can be used with any studio monitor system

Now Available: MSC1 Control Center software for Apple/Mac! Download available in the support section at jblpro.com.

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"Well-built Monitor Controller"

Sound:
Sound remains accurate. I've detected very little coloration.
Feature:
It is a solidly made monitor controller. Allows for multiple inputs and types.
Ease of Use:
The equipment is extremely easy to use. When doing the room correction analysis procedure, you'll want to take your time in going through the steps. I've messed it up several times by being impatient.
Quality:
All buttons and controls feel solid. Connections are snug.
Value:
It is a good value based on its performance and build quality.
Manufacturer Support:
Have never engage JBL for support. I do appreciate the quality of their customer service documents.
The Wow Factor:
This is a practical addition to my setup.
Overall:
As a hobbyist with an above-average home studio setup, this meets my needs to be able switch between multiple inputs and apply room correction eq'ing for mixdowns. The quality of my mixes have definitely improved because I'm no longer fighting against the major disadvantages of my studio room's layout. It is not the ultimate cure-all for one's acoustic challenges but it is a big step in the right direction - most of us can't afford the time/money to tear up a room and rebuild it to typical studio acoustic standards.

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"Terrible"

Overall:
First thing I did was plug it into my monitors and got some very startling static crackling. Turned the monitor off immediately and turned the unit off. When I powered the monitor back on, even without the unit being on, my noise floor on the monitor had been raised at LEAST 25 or 30dB. WITH THE UNIT OFF.The 'calibration mic' is a plastic children's toy with a molded permanently attached 1/8" TRS cable. I hooked it up to my RTA and compared to my normal ref mic, doesn't deserve the word 'calibration' in the title AT ALL.I decided maybe I should install the software to see if the noise issues would remove themselves once drivers had been installed. The CD is an unorganized cluster of files that immediately opens a completely unprofessional looking NOTEPAD file to walk you through the non-user friendly setup (first step says "insert CD-R" genius, how else did I get here if I hadn't already done that??). Setup was awful, did NOT like Windows 7 64 bit. Once I got the software open it would not recognize my internal sound card or interface. At this point I packed the unit up...45 minutes of my life wasted.After reading the other reviews I can see now I should have done my homework, bad form JBL...

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